1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling and adjusting heat output during the heating phase of a cooking vessel having simmering and warming cycles, whereby the temperature in and/or at the cooking vessel is monitored and is employed by a control circuit to switch an electric heating element off and on, as required to adjust the temperature inside the vessel to achieve preset simmering or warming temperatures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An apparatus of this type is disclosed in German Patent Publication DE-OS No. 29 32 039. In this known apparatus, a time function element is automatically adjusted as a function of the temperature or of the pressure in the cooking vessel in order to affect the cooking or boiling process according to the conditions in the cooking vessel. The purpose of this arrangement is to insure that the duration of the cooking or boiling process is suitably modified under fluctuating conditions in the cooking vessel. An arrangement of this type will only be useful if such fluctuating conditions occur during the cooking or boiling process, which might result from unsatisfactory adjustment or control of the cooking or boiling temperature.
In another known apparatus according to German Patent Publication DE-OS No. 30 26 620, the heat output of the heating element is controlled by a microprocessor which is provided with signals from a signal transmitter attached to the cooking vessel. The advantage of this arrangement resides in the fact that it allows a number of parameters affecting the cooking or boiling process to be manually preset at the same time. However, this apparatus does not provide any means of automatically adjusting control of the cooking or boiling temperature, taking into account different heating characteristics.